Greer Tan Swiston

candidate, alderman, Newton, MA

Tan Swiston, married to her best friend, Rob, is a long-time Newton resident, homeowner and working parent, and has always been active in the community. A former IT executive turned real estate agent and a chronic volunteer, Greer is stepping up to the plate to further serve Newton. Greer has been appointed by the Governor's office to serve as a Commissioner on the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women as well as the Judicial Nominating Commission. A community volunteer since childhood, Greer has been a Girl Scout, participated in walkathons, telethons and jumpathons. Following family tradition, Greer has served in the Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association (GBCCA) in various capacities for almost 30 years, including Youth Leader, Executive Committee member and currently as a teacher at the Huaxin Chinese Language School for children. Greer has a reputation for bringing people together. Whether it be organizing a companywide weekly sushi social, reviving an alumni club or organizing Newton Parents for Education, Greer appreciates the value of community, communication and comraderie. Making most of those skills, Greer served on the Board of the Newton League of Women Voters of Newton, is currently serving on the Board of NewTV and has volunteered as a tutor for the Newton Public Schools. Greer has participated in fundraisers, field clean-ups and school appreciation activities. She serves as a Girl Scout troop leader, soccer coach, and ran the Little League concession stand at Lyons field for two years. Trained as a software engineer, Greer has worked in the High Tech industry in places like NASA's Jet Propulsion Labs in Pasadena, CA, dot com start-ups along the 128 circle as well as venerable corporations the likes of Fidelity Investments and Merrill Lynch in downtown Boston and Cambridge. Over nearly two decades in the computer industry, Greer rose steadily through the ranks as a respected technologist and moved into senior management rounding out her technical skills with quality control, project management and overall office operations and finance management.